Rubber boot



Jan. 27, 1925.

F. H. MARTIN RUBBER BOOT Filed Aug. 22. 1924 l m lll J 11, T l

Patented Jan. 27, 1 925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK H. MARTIN, O13 AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE B. F.

GOODRICH COM- PANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

RUBBER BOOT.

Application filed August 22, 1924. SeriaI no. 733,609.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK H. MARTIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, haveinvented a certain new and useful Rubber Boot, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to rubber boots adapted to be turned down or tobe extended to their full height, at the choice of the wearer, as in thecase of wading boots commonly referred to as hip-boots.

The useful life of such boots, as heretofore made, frequently has beenlimited by the breaking or cracking of the leg of the boot at theprimary line of fold, at the knee, the fold at this line beingrelatively abrupt as compared with supplemental folds of the larger andmore tapering upper leg port on, and the primary line of fold beingSHlJJQCt to wear incident to rubbing against the trousers of the wearer.When the lining fabric has been weakened by such wear, vertical strainsupon the material whiclrare 1n cident to normal service soon result inrupture of the rubber cover of the boot.

As such defects are not susceptible of ready repair, the usefulness ofthe boot as a full-length wader is practically destroyed although itsother parts may still remain 1n good condition.

The object of my invention is to provide a rubber boot in which theobjectionable feature described will be largely overcome, so that theboot may have a long period of useful service, more commensurate withthe durability of its other parts.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a hip-boot embodying my invention in itspreferred form, a part of the rubber cover of its leg portion beingsectioned and broken away.

Fig. 33 is a side elevation of the same in turned-down condition, a partof the lining fabric being broken away.

Referring to the drawings, the boot comprises the usual rubber covcr 10which, 111 the finished boot, is continuous throughout the verticalheight of the boot, and the usual leg-lining 11 and top lining 12, whichmay be of duck 01' of relatively light and stretchable material such asthe knitted fabric commonly referred to as cotton net.

At the knee, and preferal'ily between the rubber cover 10 and the lowerportion of the top-lining 12, adjacent the latters junction with theleg-lining 11, is interposed a band 13 of \veftless or substantiallyweftless rubberized thread fabric, similar to that commonly used in cordtires, but preferably ofsmaller tl'iread-size, said band preferablybeing cut on a bias of about 45, as shown, so as to provide elasticityin a vertical direction as Well as circumferentially of the leg, theweak weft threads, when used, being adapted to break under relativelysmall strain, after serving their purpose of holding the warp threads inorderly relation during the preparation of the fabric.

In the vulcanization of the boot the linings 11 and 12, the threadfabric insert 13 and the cover 10 become firmly united, providing areinforced zone at the knee adapted not only to withstand the wearingaction of the underlying garment in service, but to be easily flexed andto withstand the repeated fieXure of alternately folding the boot-topdown and extending it to its full height.

In service the boot-top is folded down so that the primary line of foldcomes within thereinforced zone represented by the thread fabric insert13, as shown in Fig. 2, and the circumferential elasticity of saidinsert permits such folding of the reinforced zone, although the latteris relatively thick, without excessive wrinkling or buckling of thecompressed inner half of the folded zone and without excessive strainupon the 1naterial at the convex side of the line of fold. When nettop-lining is used, the vertical elasticity of the insert, as well asits circumferential elasticity, avoid breaking of the elastictop-lining, 12, at its unction with the insert, such as frequentlyoccurs at the junction line of relatively elastic and nonelastieelements in rubberized-fabric articles. Wear of the inner face of thereinforced zone is met by the relatively strong threads of the insert13, which continue, throughout a long period of use, to preventsubstantial strains upon the adjacent portion of the cover 10. Thus aboot is provided whose several parts are better balanced in theirresistance to the destructive effects of service than has been the casein boots of this type as heretofore made.

As various details of the structure dcscribed may be modified Within thescope of my invention I do not Wholly limit mythe leg at the knee andhaving its strength-v giving threads disposed obliquely in the leg ofthe boot.

3, A rubber boot having a relatively stifi" lower leg-portion arelatively flexible upper leg-portion, and a reinforced annular zoneconnecting the two and comprising an annular band of rubberized fabrichaving 20 strong threads disposed obliquely in the leg of the'boot.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set n1 v hand this 11th day ofAugust, 1924.

FREDERICK H. MARTIN.

